Hugh Jackman, Sutton Foster’s romance caused his divorce: Source (excl.)

The October 26 gossip blogger Tasha Lustig spilled some major tea on Hugh Jackman and Sutton Foster on her Instagram account. “Remember when I told you this man was off the hook,” the content creator asked as she pointed to a photo of Music man costars look loving on a red carpet. Lustig went on to say that Jackman had “blindsided” his ex-wife, Deborra-lee Furnessby “running off with the mistress” and that the Broadway stars planned to “soft launch” their relationship in public.

The juicy post quickly gained a ton of viewers — including Furness, who “liked” it from her private account (only visible to people she follows on the platform), along with over 25,000 others, and Furness’ close friend, British media personality Amanda de Cadenetwho wrote: “You’re spot on with this one. My dear friend Deb is about to make her light up anytime!

The social media activity appeared to confirm rumors of a secret romance between Jackman, 56, and Foster, 49, who starred together in the 2022 Broadway revival. (Jackman and ex Furness announced their split in September 2023; Foster filed for divorce from screenwriter Ted Griffin on October 25.) Sources confirm in the latest issue of Us Weekly that Jackman and Foster are currently together — and that their friendship turned romantic during the show’s 11-month run while they were married to other people.

“Sutton and Hugh’s relationship is the reason Hugh and Deb split up,” says a Foster source. “A lot of people on Broadway knew and we kept it quiet because they’re both such nice and amazing people. Everyone respected their privacy. But there was an affair and overlap.” According to the source, Jackman and Foster are still going strong: “They’re really happy now.”

Instant connection

Jackman and Foster have run the same Broadway circles for years. During a late-night appearance, Jackman revealed that he had “seen everything she’s done” and joked that he had seen Foster in Completely modern Millie when she was “like 4 years old”. (Foster won a Tony for her performance in 2002, when she was 27). Raved Jackman: “(She) is amazing.”

They knocked it off immediately after being thrown in The music man. In 2022, Foster said Vogue Jackman had become one of her closest friends – and noted that they even had family gatherings. (Jackman and Furness, 68, adopted son Oscar, 24, in 2000 and daughter Ava, 19, in 2005; Foster and Griffin are parents to Emily, 7, whom they adopted in 2017.) “You usually go into these things by to think “Well, I hope we’ll get through it,” she explained, “but we just spent Memorial Day with our families.”

Foster also revealed that she and Jackman had adopted an intimate ritual of sitting on the floor of her dressing room and chatting before each show. “It’s such a wonderful thing,” Foster said during an appearance on Lives with Kelly and Ryan. “We just talk and catch up on our day. It’s been one of the best parts of it all,” she added, “that I’ve made this wonderful new friend.”

During rehearsals, they often posted cute pictures and videos on Instagram gushing over each other. “This show is nothing without you,” Jackman wrote alongside a clip of them rehearsing a dance. On opening night, Foster shared photos of her and Jackman on the red carpet with the caption: “This man. An honor to be by your side. You. Are. The. BEST.”

Furness had no suspicions — even after watching her then-husband and Foster kiss passionately on stage night after night. “Deborra-lee was stunned when she found out about the affair during the show,” says an industry source. “Apparently it was Broadway’s worst-kept secret, and Deborra-lee was the last one to know.” Us has learned that Jackman never came clean about the affair. “He owned it,” adds the industry source. Furness wanted to save the marriage, but Jackman’s relationship with Foster continued.

Painful betrayal

For decades, Jackman and Furness seemed like one of Hollywood’s most solid couples. The Wolverine star fell for Furness when they starred in the Australian series Correlli together. (Like Foster, Furness was his leading lady.) Just five months after meeting, Jackman popped the question. “I knew two weeks after I met Deb that we would be together for the rest of our lives,” he once admitted.

During a 2016 talk show appearance, Jackman said his marriage “gets better and better” over time, adding: “She’s the greatest thing that’s ever happened to me.” The actor noted that he was grateful he had met her before he rose to fame in the early 2000s. “Everything that’s happened in my career and on screen, off screen, we’ve always done it together.”

In April 2023, Jackman celebrated his 27th wedding anniversary with a gushing post directed at Furness. “Together we have created a beautiful family. And life,” he wrote. “Your laughter, your spirit, generosity, humor, sass, courage and loyalty are an incredible gift to me. I love you with all my heart.”

While one source notes that Jackman and Foster’s affair had already begun at this point, another source says they first heard of a romance between the pair last November, two months after the actor announced his marriage was over . “We have been blessed to share nearly 3 decades together as husband and wife in a wonderful, loving marriage,” Jackman and Furness said in a statement at the time. “Our journey now changes and we have decided to part ways to pursue our individual growth.”

A friend of the couple tells Us Furness was devastated. “(For a) woman who has been in a marriage for (27) years, who then discovers that her partner was unfaithful and untrustworthy, it’s a pretty devastating life experience,” the friend says, noting that Furness has been exceedingly gracious behind the scenes to protect her family. “I think a lot of people were shocked (Hugh) could do this to her, especially since she’s the mother of his children and they’ve navigated three decades of life together,” the friend says. “A little respect might have been in order.” A source familiar with Furness says she is a survivor: “(Deborra-lee) is a strong, resilient, creative woman.”

What’s next

As for Jackman and Foster, things are moving forward. “They don’t live together because of their children,” says a source from the theater world. “But Sutton has told people on Broadway about the relationship. Everyone (there) has known about this for a long time.” A resident of Sutton’s NYC building has told other neighbors that they have seen Jackman, who also lives in the city, coming in and out.

The Foster source says Jackman knows his reputation is on the line. “Hugh’s whole image is that he’s the nicest guy in Hollywood,” the source explains. “So he doesn’t know what to do with this.”

For more on Hugh and Sutton, watch the exclusive video above and download latest issue of Us Weekly – on newsstands now.